Electric Propulsion

ALSTOM Power Conversion has been selected by Princess Cruises and Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. to supply electric propulsion systems for two Grand Class cruise ships. According to Michel Pater, Senior Vice President, Marine & Offshore, ALSTOM’s
know-how, expertise and success in the domain of electric propulsion, especially
in big cruise ships, made ALSTOM an ideal choice.
Each ship will be equipped with two of ALSTOM’s electric motors each with a rated power of 20,000 kW / 145 rpm. ALSTOM is also to supply the main and auxiliary generators, the 11 kV main switchboard, the induction motors for thrusters and compressors and all the Synchrodrive and control units dedicated to the electric propulsion. The ships will be delivered to the shipowner from 2003.
In the same period, Princess Cruises has also placed an order, for four other cruise ships, with Chantiers de l’Atlantique and these ships will also be fitted with ALSTOM?s electric propulsion systems (2 x 20,000 kW / 150 rpm per ship).-

GE Power Conversion receives first order in Japan from Kawasaki Heavy for electric propulsion motor equipment for LNG vessels
GE’s Power Conversion business has received a new order from Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. for electric power and propulsion systems for two LNG carriers. The LNG carriers will be built for the purpose of transporting LNG from Louisiana, U.S.A. Their construction is scheduled to be completed from 2017 through 2018.

MTU Friedrichshafen has won the contract to supply the
diesel electric propulsion systems for eight French frigates from the
“FREMM” program (Frégates Européennes Multimissions). Apart from onboard
power generation, the four 16-cylinder MTU Series 4000 diesel engines
on each vessel provide the heart of the diesel electric propulsion
system with each unit delivering 2,200 kW. A gas turbine is available as an
alternative for higher speeds.

Power conversion specialist Converteam has shipped the first of two massive 75 tonne, 36 Megawatt generators designed specifically to match the electrical power requirement of the propulsion motors for the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers.
These are major components of the electrical system for the two new 65.000 tonne ships for which Converteam has designed the innovative Integrated Full Electric Power (IFEP) and propulsion system

Korean companies Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering and Hyundai Heavy Industries contract GE technology.
The GE equipment will be installed on 23 new LNG ships and represents total propulsion power of 1,105 megawatts.
Traditionally, the propulsion of LNG tankers has been based on boil-off boilers and steam turbines. In recent years, more and more ship owners have turned to dual-fuel engine systems combined with electric propulsion as more efficient solutions

Caterpillar Marine Power Systems will unveil its United States EPA Tier 4 power solutions for vessels using engines over 2,000 kW at the 2013 International Workboat Show
The first engine platforms to be rolled out as Tier 4 solutions are two legendary performers in the commercial marine industry: the Cat 3516C marine engine as well as the Cat 280 marine engine. The C280 engine will be available as Tier 4 certified in both the 8 and 12 cylinder configurations.

With around half a million plug-in electric cars are on the roads worldwide, electric propulsion is now slowly spreading into other types of transportation, one of which is electric boats. Stockholm ferry operator Ballerina has introduced a new, electrically propelled passenger ferry, built in composite material, that runs smoothly, comfortably and with essentially none of the noise that accompanies combustion-engined vessels.

Lloyd’s Register Asia has completed the first safety case in Korea for dual-fuel electric propulsion in association with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) and Wärtsilä. The system is for the new large LNG tanker designs of 200,000 cu. m. and above being put forward by Korean yards. Lloyd’s Register Asia has worked with DSME and Wärtsilä to help to ensure that the technology is properly qualified for installation onboard the next generation of LNG tankers.

American Superconductor Corporation has completed a no-load
factory testing for the world's first high temperature superconductor (HTS)
electric ship propulsion motor. The company's ultra-compact HTS motors are as
much as half the weight, one-third the size, operate with higher fuel
efficiency and have lower maintenance costs than equivalently priced copper-
based motors at the same power and torque rating.
The patented 5 megawatt (MW)

ABB unveils newest Azipod thruster to growing electric propulsion market
Power and automation technology group ABB has introduced Azipod D, a new addition to its line of Azipod electric propulsion offering, allowing a wider range of vessel types to utilize the Azipod propulsion

Germany’s AG-Ems is preparing to put two liquefied natural gas-diesel dual fuel ferries into operation for the summer season in the North Sea for the first time. They both are powered by Wärtsilä 20DF engines, with fuel to be supplied by Bomin Linde.

Europe’s greenest inland vessel debuts Damen group innovations
Damen Shipyards Group launched the first LNG-powered Damen EcoLiner inland shipping tanker at its Romanian yard in early February. The EcoLiner, developed to deliver fuel economy for inland shipping operators while

Edison Chouest Offshore has selected Caterpillar Marine's Cat Tier 4 Final C280-16 generator sets for two new vessels, Caterpillar announced today. The generators are the marine industry's highest horsepower Tier 4 solution, as well as one of the largest diesel electric propulsion (DEP)

Scottish-owned Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has chosen Voith propulsion systems for its new hybrid ferry. Like its sister vessels, MV Hallaig and MV Lochinvar, the new hybrid ferry will be built by Ferguson Shipbuilders in Glasgow. CMAL relies on two VSP 16R5 EC/90-1 as well as two

On Friday 6 February 2015, Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Co., Ltd., China, held a steel cutting ceremony for the first of four platform supply vessels of ULSTEIN’s PX121 design being built for Otto Offshore Limited.
The shipbuilding contracts at Wuchang were announced in August

The subsea vessel Island Performer has been upgraded for her next assignment in the US. Ulstein Verft has installed cargo tanks and corresponding piping, a switchboard room for deck equipment and the sea fastening frame for stacks, as well as platforms for the tower winches

GE unveils GE Marine organization to power, propel and position the global marine industry
GE unveiled today its new GE Marine organization which cumulates several GE businesses and will be led by Tim Schweikert, vice president, GE Marine.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) reports it has received an order for two next-generation LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers from Mitsui & Co., Ltd., scheduled for completion and delivery in 2018 and 2019, respectively. They will be put into service for the Cameron LNG Project

ABB has won orders worth $60 million to deliver complete electrical power plant and propulsion systems for two new vessels for Star Cruises operated by Genting HongKong and to be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. The orders were booked during 2014.

The Ocean Class Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) vessel hull number 27 started its official life as the R/V Neil Armstrong, the first research vessel named after a space explorer. The ship was designed by Guido Perla and Associates and built at Dakota Creek Industries (DCI)

The new shipyard facility of Honghua Offshore Oil & Gas Equipment Company in Jiangsu, China, has launched its first ship, an IMT982 Platform Supply Vessel. The vessel, Nordic Trym, is expected to be delivered to its owners, Nordic Offshore Supply Limited, in April 2015.